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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Alan Fogg,
Director of Communications
afogg@fceda.org, 703-790-0600
158 companies expand or relocate to Fairfax County during 1997
Fairfax County, Virginia, February 19, 1998— During 1997, 158 companies expanded or relocated their operations in Fairfax County, according to the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA). These results exemplify the continued strength of the Fairfax County economy and its growing dominance in the information technology field. As a result of the announcements, 13,373 new jobs will be added to the County's economy. Typically, it is assumed that every new job spins off two to three jobs in other sectors of the economy. As a comparison, 102 businesses expanded or relocated to Fairfax County in 1996 adding 10,594 new jobs to the economy.
"This past year was an extraordinary one for Fairfax County and the FCEDA," said Patricia M. Woolsey, chairman of the FCEDA Commission. "Our announcements increased by 50 percent over 1996. We are now one of the leading centers for information technology in the United States and through the 1998 World Congress on Information Technology, we expect our reputation as a global center of business and commerce to grow significantly."
Two-thirds of the 1997 announcements were from companies expanding their businesses in Fairfax County with the remaining one-third representing businesses which relocated to the County from another area or were start-ups. Almost half of the 158 companies work in the information technology field, and of those, 28 percent were new businesses to the County. A sampling of the largest relocations and expansions for the year are highlighted below:
| Company |
New Jobs |
| MCI |
2,500 |
| Andersen Consulting |
2,000 |
| Coopers & Lybrand Consulting LLP |
884 |
| Teligent |
800 |
| Arthur Andersen and Co. LLP |
750 |
| American Management Systems |
700 |
| U.S. Customs Service |
500 |
| Sun Microsystems |
350 |
| Iridium |
300 |
| Platinum Technologies |
200 |
| Telco Communications |
200 |
| Wang Federal Inc. (I-Net Federal) |
200 |
"This is a tremendous location to start and grow a business because companies find what they need in Fairfax County: a superior infrastructure -- including education and telecommunications — access to domestic and international markets through Washington Dulles International Airport, highly skilled employees and an excellent quality of life," said Mrs. Woolsey.
The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority provides services and information designed to promote Fairfax County as a business location for domestic and international companies and organizations. The FCEDA assists businesses by identifying possible sites and facilities and is a source for up-to-date demographic and economic statistics. For more information, visit the FCEDA's Web page at www.fairfaxcountyeda.org
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